sport

Ex-Newcastle defender Marcelino heaped
praise on the Portuguese after taking his
tally for the Liga season to 13 with a hat-
trick in Sunday’s rout of Athletic Bilbao
Former Spain international Marcelino
believes Cristiano Ronaldo is better than
Lionel Messi, arguing that the Real Madrid
superstar is “the most complete player in th
history of football”.
Ronaldo bagged his third hat-trick in four
Liga games – a record-equaling 22nd in the
Spanish top flight – in his club’s 5-0 rout of
Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, thus taking his
goal tally for the season to 13.
Consequently, while Marcelino has the
utmost respect for Barcelona ace Messi, the
retired defender believes that Ronaldo is
currently peerless and a near-certainty to
retain his Ballon d’Or title.
“He’s the most complete player in the histor
of football,” the 43-year-old told Sky Sports.
“He can score goals with his head, with his
feet. He’s as strong as anyone; as powerful
as anyone.
“He looks like he wants to keep improving.
He wants to score and add more numbers
to his statistics.
“There’s been this debate between Messi
and Ronaldo. Messi has been fantastic but
Ronaldo, and I keep saying it, is the most
complete player ever.
“If the [Ballon d’Or] were awarded now, he
would get it.”
Ronaldo has been crowned the best play in
the world on two occasions, with Messi
triumphing four times in total.

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Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has
signed a new long-term contract with the
club.
Sturridge, who has signed until the
summer of 2019, joined Liverpool in 2013
for £12m from Chelsea and has emerged
as a key member of manager Brendan
Rodgers’ first team.
He scored 36 goals in his first 50
appearances for the club, the best
goalscoring ratio in 50 matches of any
Liverpool striker in more than 100 years.
Last season Sturridge became only the
second player in Premier League history to
score in eight successive matches en route
to becoming the division’s leading English
goalscorer with 21 goals, 10 behind team-
mate Luis Suarez.
After signing his new deal Sturridge told
the club’s official website: “I am thankful
for the opportunity and that is the reason I
committed my future.
Everyone has been great with me, from the
fans to the staff to the players, so it was an
easy decision.
“There are a lot of things I’m happy with
how they’ve gone so far, but there is a lot
to come. I’ve not shown yet what I can do
– what I’m doing is just the start for me.
“I may have had some good games and
scored some goals, but literally this is the
beginning in terms of what I can show. I
don’t feel I’ve shown really what I can do
as a footballer. I am looking forward to the
hard work, the training, the games and
everything – and looking forward to the
future.
“We were so close to success last season
and it was a bitter pill to take not winning
the league, but that’s just a taster of what
the fans will get – but hopefully this time
we’ll have the trophies to show for it.
“Everyone is very obsessive in terms of
wanting success and being winners. That’s
what we are – that’s the Liverpool way.”
The 25-year-old England international has
been out injured for the last month and
this week found himself at the centre of a
club versus country row over how his
training should be managed